Apparatus for handling magnetic materials.



J. F. SCHNABELQ APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MAGNETIU MATERIALS. APPLICATION nun 11112.31. mo. 989,065, Patented Apr. 11,1911.

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J. F. SGHNABEL. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MAGNETIC MATERIALS;

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1910. 989,065.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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989,065. Patented Apr. 11,1911.

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J. F. SGHNABEL. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MAGNETIO MATERIALS.

APPLICATION IILBI) MAR. 31. 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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ur-rma MAqNr I WITNESES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. SCHNAIBEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC CONTROLLER AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed March 31, 1910. Serial No. 552,550.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. SCHNABEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Handling Magnetic Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for economically and safely transporting magnetic materials, such as pig iron scrap-iron, billets.

Lifting magnets have been found to be very highly efficient for the rapid transfer of pig iron, scrap-iron, billets, etc., where the latter are deposited close to the point from which they were picked up; but where it is necessary to carry magnetic materials for a considerable distance, much energy is consumed in keeping the magnet energized and much time and energy expended in moving the magnet and the crane by which it is carried, while the amount of materials handled is small compared with the cost of such time and energy. There is always more or a less danger with the use of lifting magnets that the energizing current may be interrupted, thereby permitting the articles carried to fall with possible injury to men or machinery below them.

It is the object of my invention to combine a lifting magnet with certain receptacles into which the magnetic materials are dropped from the lifting magnet and by which they are transported in large amounts to their destination.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my invention associated with a boat, shown in vertical section and broken away below the water line; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the parts disposed for dumping the contents of the receptacles into a chute shown in section; Fig. 3, an elevation of the receptacles disposed for dumping their contents on a stock pile; Fig. 4, an end elevation of my invention in the position shown in dotted lines on Fig. 1, but at a right angle thereto; the chains 10 being omitted; Fig. 5, a top plan of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a side elevation of a second form of my invention; Fig. 7,

a side elevation of the invention of Fig. 6, but showing a method of dumping the receptacles by means of the lifting magnet and its raising and lowering means; Fig. 8, an elevation of Fig. 6 taken at a right angle thereto; and Fig. 9, an elevation similar to Fig. 6, but showing the same adapted to the handling of detachable receptacles, as furnace charging boxes.

As my invention does not include specifically cranes and the hoisting mechanism supported thereon and as they are all well known, I have not illustrated them. I have shown the usual sheaves 2 by which my improved apparatus is suspended over the barge A by the usual ropes 2 carried by the hoisting drums on a crane or equivalent device. The sheaves 2 are supported on the frame-work 1.

The lifting magnet 3 is supported by the hoisting ropes 4 which are connected to suitable drums on the crane, as will be readily understood by those conversant with hoisting mechanism. The drums for hoisting the magnet and the receptacles are illustrated conventionally in connection with the form of invention shown on Figs. 6, 7, and 9. The ropes 4 have their lower ends connected to the opposite ends of the equalizer bar 5 which is provided in its upper edge midway between its ends with the recess 6, and at its ends with the rollers 7, which project slightly beyond the said ends.

The buckets or receptacles 8 are suspended by four bars 9, arranged to swing in vertical planes on the pivots 9 at the corners of the frame 1. Each end. pair of these bars has between their lower ends a bucket 8, which is provided with gudgeons or journals 10' mounted for rotation in eyes in the bars. Chains 10 extend from the corners of the frame 1 and are attached to the ends of the buckets beyond the bars 9 in order to hold them in the upright position shown in full lines on Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and to prevent them from overturnin too far when dumping, as shown in dottec lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

Each front and rear pair of bars 9 is connected together by the links 12, having one end of each connected to the ivot or cross-bar 13, the remaining ends being connected to the respective bars of the pair by the pivot 11. The pivot 13 is midway between the end pairs of bars 9, extends entirely across from one pair of links 12 to the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and lies di rectly above the recess 6 in the equalizer bar 5. The links 12, which form toggles are prevented from rotating too far downwardly by the rear projections 14.- which engage the stops 15 on the bars 9, the stops and projections being so designed that, when in engagement, the pivot 13 will lie slightly below the plane which includes the four pivots 11, in order to prevent the buckets 8 from swinging toward each other until the pivot 13 has been raised above the said plane. With the bars diverging downwardly, which position is not essential, there is a tendency of the buckets to swing to the vertical, which is prevented by the toggle links 12, in order to provide plenty of room for the passage between them of the magnet 3 and its load which may project considerably beyond the magnet.

Supposing the parts to be as shown in Fig. 1 and that the magnet 3 has attracted to it a load of magnetic material, the next operation is to deposit the load in the buckets 8, which are shown to have the cross-section of a quarter of a circle with the upper plane side open, and their adjacent sides vertical and closed, as in the dotted lines, Fig. v1, where the two buckets have their vertical sides touching. The magnet and load are raised by the ropes 4, the recess of the equalizer bar 5 at length engaging the pivot 13, when the magnet and load are above the tops of the buckets 8, and lifting the pivot to the position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 1). When the buckets have been brought together as shown in dotted lines (Fig. 1), the magnet is deenergized, permitting its load to drop into the buckets. The magnet 3 is now lowered, the rollers 7 on the ends of the equalizer engaging the cross-bars 16, which are parallel to the pivot 13, and lie between the same and the pivots 11 directly in the path of the said rollers. The weight of the magnet exerted on the bars 16 causes the links 12 to be straightened, whereby the buckets are swung outwardly where they are locked by the links 12. The length of the equalizer bar 5 is such that it will pass between the bars 16 when the buckets are swung apart and locked. The magnet passes down into the barge A where it is caused to pick up another load, whereupon the operation just detailed is repeated until the buckets contain the required load. The buckets and load are then moved to the desired place of discharge, as the chute 11, Fig. 2. When the buckets 8 are over the hatch, the magnet 3 is lowered until the buckets are swung apart and locked, then the buckets, and incidentally the magnet, are lowered so that the chute 11 is between the buckets with their vertical sides at such-v a height that the top of the chute or other stop shall be below the gudgeons 10. The magnet 3 isthen raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, the buckets first moving toward the chute 11, if they do not already engage it, until they hit the chute; and then commencing to rotate on the lines of their contact with the chute to the position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2) and to cause the loads in the buckets to be discharged into the, chute 11. The chains 10 prevent the buckets from turning over too far. the magnet again, the weight thereof acting through the links 12 will return the buckets to their upright position. i

In Fig. 3, I have shown how to dump the material outof the buckets upon a stock pile. The bottoms of the buckets beneath their vertical sides are provided with the projections 18, which enter the top of the stock pile as shown in fulllines, when the buckets are lowered. By raising the magnet, the buckets will be drawn toward each other as in Fig. 2, the project-ions 1'8 acting as fulcrums. After the buckets are overturned past their dead center, they are raised slightly permitting them to overturn as shown in the dotted lines.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the frame 1 is suspended from the crane drums D, indicated by circles, by the ropes 2 The magnet 3 is attached to the bottom block 17 which is suspended from the crane drums cl and d by the ropes 4:. The buckets 8 are shown rectangular and are suspended on the bars 9 having the arms 12 connected by the pivots 13. One member of the rope 4t is attached to one of the arms 12 at the point 19, the arms 12 being arranged near together and extending inwardly from the pivots 11 to which they and the bars 9 are rigidly secured. If the drum (Z is rotated, the drum d beingheld from rotation, the magnet 3 will be raised, and when it has reached a position so that it and its load are above the top of the buckets 8, the buckets may be.

swung together by actuating the drum (Z in conjunction with the drum or alone with the drum (1 prevented from rotation. The upward pull of the rope 4L causes the arms 12 to be lifted and the end pairs of the arms 9 to move toward each other till the buckets 8 come together as shown in dotted lines on Fig. 6. The magnet is now caused to drop its load into the buckets. By reversing the drum cl, the drum remaining stationary, the buckets are swung apart by the action of the rope 4 on the pin 19. When the buckets are spread apart,

By lowering the drum (Z is held stationary and the drum (Z is rotated to lower the magnet between the buckets and into contact with the material to be lifted, when the operation detailed is repeated till the buckets are loaded, as explained in connection with Figs. 1 to 5.

The buckets 8 may be dumped as follows: The buckets are brought toward each other as described so that their inner edges rest on the ends of themagnet 3, as shown in full lines, Fig. 7. The magnet is then raised by the action of the drum (1, which causes the buckets to be turned outwardly until their contents are discharged by gravity. During this action the magnet is kept energized sufliciently to hold the buckets in their inverted position until all their contents have fallen out, the bucket being made of mag netic material. The dotted lines on Fig. 7 show the inverted buckets held by the magnet.

In Fig. 9 the parts are the same as in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, except that furnace charging boxes 8 of well known design have been substituted for the buckets 8 and 8 hereinbefore described. The bars 9 are provided at their lower ends with the hooks 20 which detachably enter holes in the ends of the boxes 8. The operation is the same as that described in connection with Figs. (3, 7 and 8. B represents in section a receptacle for the material to be loaded into the boxes 8, ivlhich receptacle may be a car or bin or the In all the forms of my invention I have provided means, or have arranged the parts or connections thereof, so that the receptacles will remain upright during the loading operations, whereby I may deposit more than one load of the magnet into the receptacles. So far as I am aware all prior receptacles or holders for materials dropped from lifting magnets oscillate to bring the holders beneath the magnet, whereby they cannot receive more than a single magnet load, because the removal of the holders from beneath the magnet would dum the deposited materials out of them. In igs. 6 to 9 the receptacles, holders, boxes, or buckets are kept upright by placing their pivotal connections with the swinging bars above the center of gravity of the same.

I do not limit myself to any form of receptacles as they must vary with the character of the materials to be transported. I do not limit my invention in other respects to the precise details and combinations shown as they may be variously constructed and arranged without departing from the spirit thereof.

I -claim- 1. The combination of a lifting magnet,

means to raise and lower the same, a receptacle, connections thereto arranged to hold the same in a non-dumping position, means to move the receptacle and the magnet into vertical alinement that the magnet may discharge its load into the receptacle, and out of such position that the magnet may pass the receptacle.

2. The combination of a lifting magnet, means to raise and lower the same, a receptacle, means to move the receptacle and the magnet into vertical alinement that the magnet may discharge its load into the receptacle, and out of such alinement that the magnet may pass the receptacle, and means for maintaining the receptacle upright, whereby the magnet may deposit more than one load into the receptacle.

3. The combination of a lifting magnet, means to raise and lower the same, a pair of receptacles, means to move the receptacles and the magnet into vertical alinement with the receptacles in contact that the magnet may discharge its load into the receptacles, and out of such alinement that the magnet may pass between the receptacles, the connections to the receptacles being such as to hold them in a non-dumping position.

4. The combination of pivotally supported bars, receptacles supported on said bars and maintained in a. non-dumping position, connections between the bars, a lifting magnet arranged to travel vertically between the receptacles, and means coordinatedto the movement of the magnet to cause the bars to move the receptacles into contact beneath the magnet to receive its load and to move them apart to permit the magnet to pass between them.

5. The combination of opposing pivotally supported bars, opposing receptacles supported by the bars, pivoted connections between the opposing bars supporting the receptacles, said connection being arranged to lock the receptacles apart or on actuation to move them together, a vertically movable lifting magnet having travel between the receptacles, and means associated with the magnet to cause the said opposing bars to swing toward and from each other.

(3. The combination of opposing pivotally supported bars, opposing receptacles supported thereby, toggle-links connecting the opposing bars, a lifting magnet having travel vertically between the receptacles, and means associated with the magnet for flexing the links to bring the opposing arms toward each other and for extending them to spread the said arms apart.

7. The combination of opposing pendent bars, opposing receptacles pivotally supported thereon and having opposing side walls, and means for moving the opposing bars toward each other, the parts being so each other, the receptacles having free 10 supported that When the receptacles move swinging movement on said bars.

toward each other and their lower portions Signed at Cleveland, Ohio, this 17th day are obstructed, they are more or less overof March, A. D. 1910.

turned.

8. The combination of pendent bars adapt- JAMES SCHNABEL' ed to be moved toward each other, opposing VVit-nesses: receptacles pivotally supported thereon, and J. H. HALL, means for moving the opposing bars toward H. M. DIEMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

